Comic Book Review: The Killing Joke

Batman: The Killing Joke (2016) - IMDb

(Spoilers ahead containing lots of pictures from the comic also)

(I recommend to FULLY read the comic or at least look at its art style before reading this!)

The Killing Joke is one of the most famous DC comics as a result of it explain the Joker’s backstory. The Comic book was also made into a film but I will talk about that another time.

I personally believe that the comic book deserves the hype it receives due to its amazing art style and storyline. The story is so well written with snippets of the Joker’s life before crime being shown throughout the story.

Brain Bolland and Alan Moore clearly put lots of hard work into this comic . They made sure to show how dark this character can really be as well as making you feel sorry for what has happened to him. His insanity becomes more clear to us.

A brilliant part of this comic is the drastic personality change between the Joker and who he used to be. He started off a sad failed comedian who just wanted to make people laugh as well as make enough money for his pregnant wife.

The fact that this is not even the main reason who loses the plot and is just part of it makes this story more heart-breaking.

Since the Joker’s main ambition in this story is to prove that anyone can go insane after one bad day he runs to extreme lengths to make his point clear. (Pedantic much?) I was horrified by what he did to Barbra Gordon to try and make the commissioner loose his mind.

We then get a flashback to him talking to some criminals who long story short convince the Joker to help them break into Ace Chemicals by him pretending to be the Red Hood. The Joker agrees because he wants to prove himself and support his family.

I already thought I could see where this was going but was really surprised when the cops tell him that his wife and unborn child have died. You can see it really affected him and the fact he was still forced to go along with the crime just shows how cruel everyone around him was.

The whole artwork and scenery for the birth of Joker at Ace Chemicals is mind blowing. We begin to understand that Batman was there at the begging and most possibly the end.

(BREATHTAKING ARTWORK AHEAD)

This is the start of his philsophy that ANYONE can go insane after one bad day..

He willingly kidnaps Jim Gordan and uses the photo’s of his crippled naked daughter to drive him insane. This was an outstanding touch to the Joker’s madness and how his ego really makes him believe that everyone is just as mad on the inside as him. The fact he begins to sing about being looney though out this whole part just puts the cherry on the cake.

When finally confronted by Batman the Joker attempts to shoot him but the gun turns out to be a dummy.

I personally found it interesting that instead of Batman beating him up and sending him back to Arkham as usual he actually offered to help him and rehabilitate him. This was super interesting to add to his character, as if to show there is someone who lost someone they loved once too.

The fact that the Joker refuses was always going to be the case but the WAY he refused remined me that he is still human under the acidic burned skin.

I personally found that the joke could represent that the Joker and Batman. The Joker doesn’t want to go back to how he used to be and Batman was brave enough to take the jump . Either way this part of the comic was so symbolic as well as being genuinely funny!

Thank you for reading my review on this ICONIC comic book!

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